London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of London 1912

Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the City of London for the year 1912

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With the issue of these Regulations which came into force on the 1st February, 1913,
compulsory notification of Tuberculosis can now be regarded as complete, and I am
confident that the powers thus given to Local Sanitary Authorities will result in a
marked benefit to the Public.
APPOINTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGIST.
Dr. E. Klein, who was appointed Bacteriologist to the Corporation in May, 1902,
resigned his appointment in January of last year.
Dr. F. W. Andrewes, who has from time to time undertaken Pathological examinations
on behalf of the City, was appointed as his successor.
EXAMINATION FOR PATHOGENIC BACTERIA.
Any medical practitioner desiring examination of specimens for Pathogenic
Bacteria in cases of suspected infectious disease occurring amongst their patients
residing in the City, should forward them to me at the Guildhall. Arrangements have
been made for free examination, and the results obtained will be communicated as
speedily as possible.
During the year the following specimens were so dealt with. It will be seen that
positive results were obtained in 45.4 per cent. of these cases.
Specimen. Disease suspected.
Result—
Positive. Negative.
Four samples of sputum Tuberculosis 3 1
Six throat swabbing Diphtheria 2 4
One specimen of blood Enteric Fever — 1
CONTAMINATED MILK.
In order to determine to what extent milk on arrival in London could be
regarded as responsible for the dissemination of Tuberculosis, a system of taking
samples on arrival at the great railway termini within the City boundaries, and
submitting them to bacteriological examination, was instituted in 1902.
Since then similar investigations have been conducted in 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907,
1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, and repeated in January of the year under review, when 30
samples were taken, representing the milk supply from the following counties:—
Essex 12
Suffolk 9
Cambridgeshire 3
Hertfordshire 2
Buckinghamshire 1
Bedfordshire 2
Warwickshire 1
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